KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County grand jury last week indicted a Kansas City, Missouri, police officer with misdemeanor assault in connection with a July 2024 incident in Westport.
Christopher Showalter is set to be arraigned on the charge at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 15.
Online court records reveal Showalter allegedly caused “physical pain” to a victim by “slamming his face/chin against the concrete sidewalk and kneeing him in the face/chin while the victim was handcuffed and lying on his stomach.”
If convicted, Showalter could serve up to a year in prison and pay a fine of up to $2,000.
Last month, the victim of the alleged assault, William Hardy, filed a lawsuit against Showalter and Chesley Brown International, the private security company operating in Westport.
The lawsuit alleges Showalter, who was working in an off-duty capacity for the security company on July 6, 2024, forcibly removed Hardy from his bicycle near the intersection of W. 40th Street and Pennsylvania Street, causing a laceration to Hardy’s chin.
The civil suit levies three counts against Showalter: assault, battery and false imprisonment. The suit also claims the security company was liable for Showalter’s actions and was negligent in its supervision of Showalter’s actions.
A KCPD spokesperson referred all questions about the indictment to the prosecutor's office. The spokesperson said the department doesn't generally comment on pending litigation.
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